Dear Patricia,

I really heard your frustration coming through, and it struck a
chord with me.  I'm not a professional LC, but am a LLL Leader in
a remote area.  May I share my thoughts on your subject, as it is
one I have thought about frequently.  What has helped me, when
mothers give up breastfeeding, is to realize that I am not responsible for the
mother's decision - it is her choice.  Breastfeeding is helped by
family support, and it seems that the relactating mother who gave
up after just 5 days did not have enough of that.  It also is helped by
informed health care workers, which the jaundiced baby's mother
did not seem to have, except for you.  There are also those mothers
who just don't want to breastfeed, when seeing the effort involved -
I think that sounds callous, but sometimes its hard to draw other
conclusions, especially when I think of the mothers who struggle to make
breastfeeding work (and succeed) despite enormous odds against it.  We can't
make people do what they do not in their heart want to do.

Your question about whether we rage at formula companies, ignorant
health care professionals, is apt - yes I do! (Also unsupportive family
members)    But I try to turn that anger toward productive actions instead
by chipping away at various fronts when I can, when I have the energy, by
boycotting Nestles, a letter here and there to a company not portraying
breastfeeding as the norm in an
ad, outreach to a doctor or hospital... you get the idea.  And I do try
to think one mother/baby at a time - helping the one in front of me to the
best of my ability and then let go, remembering that the mother owns the
choice to breastfeed or not.

Don't doubt your competency - I saw you have IBCLC by your name
and it means you have reached a certain level of expertise and
knowledge.  The world is a better place because there are those that
care as you do, in it.

My 2 cents -
Jane Khondker LLL Leader
Potsdam New York